Canadian dressage athlete, Jessica Rhinelander rode to top results in the Small Tour during the eighth week of competition at the prestigious Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), held March 1-5, 2017 in Wellington, FL.

Partnered with Dimanche (Spielberg x San Remo), a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rhinelander Equestrian Services Ltd., Rhinelander placed second on a score of 72.807% in the CDI 1* FEI Intermediate I on March 3. She followed up with another second place finish in the CDI 1* FEI Intermediate I Freestyle on March 5 after scoring 74.417%.

“I’m thrilled with the results; everything is starting to come together,” said Rhinelander, 27, who is originally from St. John’s, NL, but is currently living in Wellington, FL, where she operates Rhinelander Equestrian Services, a training facility located in the heart of the city. “This is our first season in the international ring, and each week it’s getting better and better. He gave me such a great feeling in the ring. I think he’s having just as much fun as I am in there.”

Rhinelander purchased Dimanche, that she affectionately calls ‘Ducky’, in 2013 as a five-year-old and has spent the past four years bringing him up through the levels.

“I plan to finish off the AGDF season in order to continue gaining experience in the international ring,” explained Rhinelander, who returned to the CDI level for the first time in eight years in 2017, having previously competed as a junior athlete. “Over the summer, my goal is to continue to move Ducky up the levels to Intermediate II and then Grand Prix.”

In addition to her own riding and competition schedule, Rhinelander also enjoys coaching and is a personal coach to Canadian Paralympian Jody Schloss of Toronto, ON.

“I have been working with para-dressage athletes for many years,” said Rhinelander. “My start in horses was actually as a volunteer at Rainbow Riders, a therapeutic riding centre in St. John’s, NL. I enjoy working with clients of all levels, from para-dressage to hunter to jumper. As a coach, the most rewarding feeling is helping a rider achieve their goals and seeing their faces when they get that ‘ah-ha’ moment and it all falls into place.”

As for her own longer-term goals, Rhinelander has her sights set on representing Canada on the world stage.

“I see Ducky and me in the Grand Prix ring in 2018, and if everything happens to fall into place, maybe we’ll even be in the running for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games,” she explained. “Long-term, my ultimate goal is to be named to a senior national team.”